News & Events | October 13, 2025
“We are a bridge”
Starting with the new academic year, Fr. Rafael Querobin, SCJ, and Br. Brian Tompkins, SCJ, are the directors of the US Province formation program based within Sacred Heart Monastery. In traditional religious terminology, they are “formators.”
“We are a bridge,” said Fr. Rafael, explaining what it means to be a formator. “We don’t actually ‘form’ a person to be a priest or religious. Instead, we work with men who are called by God to be a disciple of Christ, to be a religious. We are the bridge between these young men called to live and serve with us, and our spirituality as Priests of the Sacred Heart. We are the bridge that brings these two things together.”
Fr. Rafael spoke about the privileged nature of being in a formation community. “We live our SCJ religious life in a very intentional way,” he said. “That does not mean that other communities do not live intentionally, but the demands of outside ministries can sometimes find us putting our lives as religious on the side.” He speaks from experience, after having completed several years as pastor of a busy parish in Houston: Our Lady of Guadalupe.
“But here, in the formation community, focusing on our life as Dehonians IS our ministry,” said Fr. Rafael. “It doesn’t matter if you are a student or a director, we are all in formation every day. We are immersed in formation.”
CLICK HERE to read the full article on the US Province website.
Welcome back Fr. Ricardo!
In 2013, Fr. Ricardo José da Rocha Teixeira, SCJ, was a student in the ECS program at SHSST (then, English as a Second Language), preparing for a mission assignment in China. Now the Portuguese SCJ is back to serve as a missionary to the US Province.
When Fr. Ricardo came to SHSST in 2013, it was his third time in the United States for ESL. His first was in 2001 as an SCJ in temporary vows, just beginning his English studies. That stay was extended by the 9/11 terrorist attacks. “I was to return to Portugal to renew my vows, but all flights were cancelled.” He remembers Fr. Richard MacDonald, SCJ, provincial superior at the time, stepping in to receive the renewal.
Now 44, Fr. Ricardo has been in vows over 25 years and has been a priest since 2007. He has served in vocations, formation and parish ministry, but what he most enjoys are ministries that allow him to interact with people and cultures different than his own. For four years he was a missionary in China, and in his home province of Portugal, he has worked with lay volunteers, preparing them for short-term assignments in places such as Ecuador and Mozambique.
Fr. Ricardo credits an SCJ priest who spoke at his primary school for igniting his interest in the missions. “I was only 10 years old but I was fascinated by the idea of going out to the world and speaking of Jesus, going beyond what was familiar to me,” said Fr. Ricardo.
“And now, I have the stomach of a missionary,” he laughed. “I can eat anything.”
Fr. Ricardo, who speaks fluent Spanish and English (besides Portuguese and other languages), will be a member of the pastoral team at OLG as of October 20.
Former superior general published in The Tablet
Bishop Heiner Wilmer, SCJ, bishop of Hildesheim (Germany) and former superior general of the Priests of Sacred Heart (Dehonians), had an article published in the international Catholic news weekly, The Tablet, on October 9. The title: ” European democracy will fail without spiritual depth, historical awareness and a prophetic voice.”
Bishop Wilmer begins by noting that a “year after the signing of the Maastricht Treaty in 1992 [which led to the creation of the European Union], Jacques Delors – then president of the European Commission – warned that the real challenge of the project was to imbue European integration and its institutional structures with meaning. He knew that legal expertise and economic know-how alone were insufficient. Europe needed a soul – a ‘spirituality and meaning’ – and Delors saw Churches and religious communities as essential partners in carrying out this fundamental task…
“More than 30 years have passed since then, and the relationship between Europe and religion has had its ups and downs. However, Delors’ warning remains as urgent as ever. This is particularly true in the light of the significant challenges currently facing Europe, including migration, climate change, geopolitical tensions and internal polarisation, which undermine the democratic foundation of our shared existence. Churches and religious communities cannot remain indifferent to the current state of Europe… we must draw also on the spiritual depth of religions and their commitment to justice for all…
“In this spirit, I dare to say that religious faith can be a source of love and prophetic commitment. It can provide spiritual depth and historical awareness to the ambitious European project of building a just and peaceful future for the world – a project entrusted to each and every one of us.”
Click here to read the full article on The Tablet website. Please note that you must create a free account to access the article.
Preparing for the next Dehonian Theological Seminar
The North American Theological Commission met via Zoom on September 26. Much of the meeting concerned preparations for the next International Dehonian Theological Seminar to be held in Taubaté, Brazil, July 30 to August 4. Fr. John van den Hengel, SCJ, and Fr. Joseph Mukuna, SCJ, will present the North American Commission’s paper which will focus on Couronnes d’amour. The African Theological Commission’s focus is on Fr. Leo John Dehon’s correspondence, reflecting on aspects of the founder as understood in his intentions, feelings, and tone. Fr. Gustave Lulendo, SCJ, will work with the North American Commission to prepare a response to the African commission’s paper.
Teaching preaching
Dcn. Steve Kramer, SHSST director of Homiletics, is one of the hosts of the podcast “Teaching Preaching.” Click here to listen to the September 29 episode in which Melissa Flaim, a professor of Fine Arts & Theater at The Catholic University of America, spoke about her work with CUA and the Sheen Preaching Initiative.
“What makes any piece of spoken language come alive is its intent… we must live each moment with intent and objective. This is applicable to a sermon in a real way,” said Ms. Flaim.
On Thursday, October 16, Dcn. Steve and co-host Kiki Latime, will interview Fr. Henry Nguyen, SCJ. A link to the podcast with Fr. Henry will be made available soon after.
Keep in prayer
Fr. Jim Walters, SCJ, will be undergoing a medical procedure on Wednesday, October 15 to address a prostate concern. Please keep him in prayer.
Also, Fr. Steve Pujdak, SCJ, has had several setbacks in his recovery following hip replacement surgery in August. On Monday he returned to the hospital (Largo Hospital, Room 462) with dangerously low blood pressure. He was in the ICU for several days. The low blood pressure, dizziness and chills were the result of two bleeds found in his duodenum. These have been cauterized and he is now stable. Members of the Sacred Heart Community in Pinellas Park visit Fr. Steve throughout the day. Please continue to keep him in prayer.
Please remember
Fr. Vien Nguyen, SCJ, writes that “My uncle, Fr. John the Baptist Ngo Dinh San, who is my mom’s younger brother, passed away today [Oct. 12] in Vietnam. He was a diocesan priest who recently celebrated his 50th anniversary of ordination. Family members, including myself, had recently traveled to Vietnam to commemorate this milestone.”
Also, please remember Fr. John van den Hengel’s sister, Mary Daly, who died October 9 in Seaforth, Ontario. She was 89 and just shy of a family celebration of her 90th birthday. Fr. John is a member of the Ottawa community.
Archbishop Christophe Pierre
Next week at SHSST
From October 21-23 Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology will once again host the “Collegial Sharing Among Brother Bishops.” Among those taking part: Cardinal Christophe Pierre (Papal Nuncio), Bishop Robert Coerver (Lubbock, TX), Bishop Jerome Feudjio (St. Thomas, Virgin Islands), Archbishop Michael McGovern (Omaha, NE), Bishop Jeffrey Fleming (Great Falls-Billings, MT), Bishop James Powers (Superior, WI) and Archbishop Edward Weisenburger (Detroit, MI).
There will be a Mass and dinner with the bishops and the Papal Nuncio, starting at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 22. Included will be a celebration of the Ministry of Acolyte for several of the SHSST seminarians. SCJs and collaborators are welcome to attend. However, if you plan to go, you must RSVP to Lisa Oszewski at loszewski@shsst.edu by Wednesday, October 15.
Also, as noted previously, the Sacred Heart Symposium will take place October 23-24.
The first day centers on the theme of personal conversion—conforming one’s heart to the Heart of Christ. Drawing upon Dilexit Nos, the final encyclical of Pope Francis, participants will consider the theological and spiritual foundations of Sacred Heart devotion as a path of deep interior renewal.
The second day turns to the social implications of this spiritual transformation, examining how conformed hearts are called to act in the world. With reference to Rerum Novarum and the Catholic social vision articulated by Pope Leo XIII, the sessions will explore the integration of Sacred Heart spirituality with a commitment to justice, solidarity, and the common good.
Click here for event, registration and livestream information.
This week, SCJs are invited to…
On Thursday, October 16 at 5:00 p.m. in the St. Joseph Chapel at Sacred Heart Monastery, Fraters Hung Pham, SCJ, and Long Nguyen, SCJ, will make the Profession of Faith and take the Oath of Fidelity as a part of their preparation for their diaconate ordinations. SCJs are invited to the ceremony and dinner that will follow. However, if you plan to attend, please contact Fr. Rafael Querobin as soon as possible. His email: querobinscj@hotmail.com.
“Whatever you do for the least…”
Last week, Fr. Guy Blair, SCJ, was the featured speaker at the 20th anniversary commemoration of St. John’s Ministries. The social service outreach program got its start in 2005 when Fr. Guy, then pastor of St. John the Evangelist parish in Green Bay, offered use of the parish gymnasium as a temporary homeless shelter.
The shelter was established to “provide nighttime shelter, food and clothing from November to May,” said Fr. Guy. “I could not have imagined the unfolding of this idea in the creative and wholistic approach by a new generation of young and energetic people. The shelter now includes a second building which operates as a year-round shelter for women and a third building (a creative renovation of an abandoned church in downtown Green Bay) as a daytime drop-in center with dining, laundry and offices facilities.”
Fr. Guy spoke about how “homelessness” is much in the news. “The term has changed to ‘unhoused’ but the problems remain the same. We do not see ‘homelessness’ walking the streets; homeless is a person in dire straits…
“The staff and volunteers of St John the Evangelist Homeless shelter offer the compassion and goodwill of human beings to human beings in need. Every meal served, every hand extended in care speaks to a deeper truth, that ‘whatever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, that you have done for me.'”
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